Application FAQ

This FAQ is about choosing criteria related to your skills and interests and making decisions.

What if I want to choose only 2 criteria at the 'choose criteria' page?

That's fine. The minimum number of criteria is two. The fewer criteria you choose, the fewer questions you'll be asked to answer. On the other hand, the fewer you choose, the less precise your ranking of subject areas will be.

Why can't I choose more than 7 criteria at the 'choose criteria' page?

Seven is the maximum number of criteria you can choose. This is so that you don't have to answer too many questions. For most people, this is fine. You'll still get a very precise ranking of subject areas.

Can I just choose some criteria and then not answer any questions at the 'make decisions' page?

Sure, that's fine. You'll still get a ranking of subject areas, based on the criteria you chose. In the absence of you answering any questions, the weights on the criteria will all be the same. If you decide to answer some questions, the weights will change according to your answers.

Why do all the questions involve a tradeoff between the criteria involved?

The questions are designed to make you confront tradeoffs between the criteria. Your answers reveal your preferences with respect to the relative importance of the criteria you chose. The computer can automatically figure out the answers to easy questions that don't involve a tradeoff.

Why does NMD ask me all those questions?

The questions – which are all unique (none is repeated) – are asked until enough information about your preferences has been collected to create an accurate ranking of the subject areas based on your preferences. The more questions you answer, the more you reveal your preferences, and the more accurate your ranking of subject areas will be.

Are some of the questions asked the same?

No. Although some of the questions may seem the same, in fact, each one is unique. None is repeated. Each question involves a different pair of subject areas defined on two criteria at a time. The more questions you answer, the more you reveal your preferences, and the more accurate your ranking of subject areas will be.

What if I can't choose 1 of the 2 subject areas I'm asked to choose from?

Guess if you have to. Or perhaps the best button to click is They are equal.

What should I do if I get tired of answering the questions or I have to stop for some reason?

You can jump forward to see your results. To do this, click the results link. Because you stopped making decisions, your ranking of subject areas will be incomplete (but interesting nonetheless). For best results, you should go back and finish your decisions.

How long should I think about each question?

As long as you like. But because the questions are not meant to be too taxing, you should be able to answer them quite quickly. You can always change your answers or your criteria, whenever you want. Or you can start over.

What if I when I'm answering the questions, I can't find a subject area I prefer?

Perhaps the best answer then is They are equal.

What if when I'm answering the questions I dislike both subject areas?

That's fine. If you dislike both subject areas equally, then you should click They are equal. In other words, they are equally undesirable. If you dislike both, but not equally, choose that one you least dislike!

I've changed my mind about my last decision (or I clicked the wrong button!). How do I change it?

Click undo last decision.

I've changed my mind about my last few decisions (or I clicked the wrong buttons!). How do I change them?

Click undo last decision as many times as you like, corresponding to the number of decisions you want to undo.

I've changed my mind about my criteria. How do I change them?

Go back to the choose criteria page and de-select the criteria you no longer want and choose new ones.